


Just another New Year's Eve...

by Misery



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Modern Era, New Year's Eve, Reincarnation, Return
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 21:10:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1111551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misery/pseuds/Misery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why should this day be any different?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just another New Year's Eve...

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! :)

New Year's Eve. One hour left.   
He didn't need a watch. He could feel it. He had always felt the changes, because he was some goddamn immortal sorcerer. At first, they had made him excited and nervous, but he didn't care anymore. It had been too long.   
Winter, summer, wars, catastrophes, inventions, progress and decay, celebrations and depressions. They all came and go, and nothing ever happened. Nothing at all.

He could hear laughter and chatting in the darkness. Sometimes, people stopped here. Especially on New Year's Eve.

“It's so romantic.” 

“Mysterious.”

“I don't like it. It's boring.”

“Did you know that they say this is the lake of Avalon?”

He didn't listen to them. He just sat there on his spot watching the lake. Small waves were rolling over mud and sand.

The people nearby opened a bottle of champagne, filling their plastic cups. It was nearly midnight. Fireworks went off, illuminating the cloudy sky. Colourful explosions in a grey world. A thousand fallen stars; none of them would grant him his one wish.

He sighed, as he felt his magic stir inside of him. He hadn't used it often. There were times, when he didn't even think about it.   
Right now his magic burned in his veins like acid, and he set it free. It sprung from his fingertips like an electric spark.   
It soared high into the air, golden and red. A sad smile crept over Merlin's face, and he curled his fingers, transforming it. A huge dragon flew over the lake, emitting fire, and beating his enormous wings. 

“Wow...it's like magic,“ one of the children cried, and Merlin's heart ached. 

Suddenly, his dragon dived right into the lake, setting it on fire. Merlin gasped, jumping to his feet. He heard the children scream in panic, and the people dropped their fireworks and bottles, and ran away.  
Merlin didn't know what happened. Water could not burn. But this was no ordinary water, and it was definitely no ordinary fire. It was indeed magic.

He could feel the heat on his skin, stinging in his eyes. 

Somewhere in the distance, the church bells rang, announcing the new year.  
Merlin blinked, coughing harshly because of all the smoke.

And then a figure stepped through the still blazing fire. It had to be an illusion, another magic trick. Maybe he had finally lost control of his powers, after so many years of mistreating them. He rubbed at his stinging eyes, but the person didn't disappear. 

“It can't be,” Merlin whispered.

All of a sudden, the fire went out, and the night swallowed every light. Still coughing, Merlin stumbled backwards, tripping over the rock he had sat on. He landed with a thud on his bum, and a sharp pain shot up his spine. Squeezing his eyes shut, Merlin let out a pitiful moan.

As he opened his eyes again, Arthur was standing in front of him, dressed in his polished armour and the red cloak. He looked confused, and tired, as if he had overslept, but when he recognized Merlin, his lips curled into a smile.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice hoarse and raspy, because he hadn't used it for more than a thousand years.

Merlin was too stunned to say anything. He couldn't believe it. He had waited all those years, and year by year a small piece of hope had died, had been cut out of his heart, until there was hardly any hope left. But he didn't belong into this world. Not without Arthur, and so he hadn't given up. He didn't know, if his destiny had pulled him through. He was too tired, too exhausted, to have faith.

Arthur frowned, slowly stepping forward. “Merlin?”

His heart throbbed painfully in his chest, and his stomach churned and clenched. He scrambled to his feet, his legs shaking so badly, he could barely hold himself upright.   
There was a huge lump in his throat, and his breath ragged, as if he had run a marathon. “Ar...thur,” he finally said between two desperate gulps.

Before he could do anything else, Arthur had reached him, and was pulling him into a tight hug. Merlin sagged against him, and tears leaked from his eyes.

Carefully, Arthur leaned his forehead against his, and his skin was warm and sweaty, and very much alive. Digging his fingers into Arthur's chainmail, Merlin sobbed. Tears were running freely down his cheeks. His whole body was shaking like a leaf.

“How...long?” Arthur asked, as if he felt that the world around him had changed, that everything had changed, except for Merlin.

“Too long,” Merlin replied, his voice cracking, because he didn't know where to start. There was no Camelot. Gwen was gone. The knights were gone. And magic didn't exist.

“You waited,” Arthur said, still holding Merlin tight. 

“For you, Arthur. Only for you.”

“I know.” Arthur smiled, and Merlin's skin tickled.

“Arthur,” he began, pushing his hands against his chest. Arthur needed to know. He needed to know everything.

“Don't worry,” Arthur said. His hand grasped the back of Merlin's neck, pulling him close again. “I'm here, now.”

“But...Arthur,” Merlin stammered, because he did worry. And he didn't know what he was supposed to do now.

“It's all right,” Arthur whispered, his lips brushing lightly against Merlin's. When Merlin didn't offer resistance, Arthur kissed him.

And suddenly it was.


End file.
